Industrial lift trucks, or forklifts as they are more commonly known, are routinely used in industrial and other applications to lift and transport materials from one location to another. Often times the materials to be transported are packaged in bags or boxes which are susceptible to breakage or damage upon loading or transporting due to contact with the hard surfaces of the forklift. It is known to equip forklifts with metal guards. However, such guards do not prevent damage to the packaging or its contents, but instead may cause damage.
Forklift damage to packaging and the contents thereof is particularly common and costly when handling edible materials. This is so because edible materials are often packaged in bags or boxes. Such damage not only results in an enormous amount of product loss, but also results in a significant amount of lost time due to the necessity of having to unstack and restack materials in order to dispose of the damaged materials.
A need exists for a device that protects packaging and materials from damage caused by contact with the hard surfaces of lift trucks during lifting and transportation. Furthermore, such protective device should be constructed such that the vision of the lift truck operator is not impaired.